Author: News-Press NOW

News-Press NOW

By: Noel Hardin

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KQTV) — Missouri’s legal sports betting market is now live, allowing residents to place wagers on professional sports, but U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) said he isn’t a fan.

Beginning Dec. 1, Missourians ages 21 and over can legally bet on the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and other professional sports through licensed operators, provided they are physically located within the state.

While many celebrated the launch, Hawley reiterated his strong opposition.

Hawley, who voted against the legalization initiative on the November ballot, expressed deep concern about the social costs of expanded gambling.

“I’m not a fan of sports betting, and I never have been,” Hawley stated. “I certainly respect that the voters approved it… But I’ll be frank with you, I voted no on that.”

Hawley predicted negative consequences, calling the practice “hugely addictive.”

“I just think that what we’re going to see more and more, my prediction is we’re going to see that it’s hugely addictive,” he said. “It’s going to cause all kinds of problems for athletes, for collegiate athletes, for individuals, for families. I hope I’m wrong. I would love to be proved wrong, but I just have to tell you, I’m not a fan of it.”

The legalization measure, approved by voters, includes a provision to fund problem gambling resources.

According to the Missouri Gaming Commission, a 10% tax will be applied to the gross revenue of sports betting operators.

That tax revenue is designated for the treatment, prevention and education of gambling problems within the state.

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Cameron Montemayor

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The U.S. Marshals is seeking the public’s help in locating a Clinton, Missouri, man charged with sexual crimes against minors in four different counties.

Steven Andrew Bowman is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service on multiple felony charges in Missouri, including sexual assault — sodomy, seven counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of statutory rape, according to a release from the agency and the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Thursday.

The U.S. Marshals Service is now offering a cash award for information leading to Bowman’s arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S. Marshal’s or local law enforcement immediately.

The Bates County Sheriff’s Office has been working with U.S. Marshal Service, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and the Clinton Police Department for more than two years to locate and take Bowman into custody.

Bowman is approximately 5′ 10″ with black hair, brown eyes and weighs 250 pounds. Bowman has likely attempted to change his appearance, and may have gained or lost weight, changed his hair style or length and may have grown or shaved his facial hair. 

Bowman’s criminal charges are issued by several law enforcement departments, including Bates County, Henry County, St. Clair County and the Clinton Police Department. All warrants are for sexual crimes against minors and society.

Investigative Contacts:

Task Force Officer Paul Thilges: (816)-645-4013

Task Force Officer Chris Scott: (816)-830-9042

Deputy Marshal Scott Hill: (816)-890-0032

U.S. Marshal Service/Kansas City: (816)-512-2025

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Four St. Joseph community members braved the below-freezing temperatures Thursday morning to protest the St. Joseph School District Board of Education’s decision to repurpose Lafayette High School as a middle school.

This comes after the SJSD School Board decided to move forward with Plan 4BR in a 5-2 vote just weeks ago. The plan will keep Benton and Central as the district’s two high schools and turn Lafayette into a middle school.

The group showed up with signs, along with breakfast burritos and free t-shirts to hand out.

According to Steven Cunningham, a current junior at Lafayette High School, students have been walking out all week.

“So yesterday we had about 40 students that decided to walk out because of the things that the school board is doing. And it will keep happening until it makes change,” he said.

Cunningham was adamant about not attending either Benton or Central to wrap up his high school career.

Larissa Vinson graduated from Lafayette High School in 2002 and explained that the school has extreme sentimental value to her and her immediate family, as well as extended family.

“I got several second cousins and third cousins in the school district, ” Vinson said. “All my family on both sides are alumni from here. So we got generations on both sides from us in school.”

Another protest is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the intersection of Belt Highway and Frederick Avenue.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Supporters of the Fighting Irish are remaining steadfast in their efforts to keep Lafayette a high school.

A group of current students and Fighting Irish alumni gathered on the sidewalk opposite of the school’s entrance Thursday to protest the recent decision by the district to approve the two high school model of Benton and Central, converting Lafayette into a middle school as a result.

For many of the demonstrators, they know the decision is likely final, but they are determined to make a stand in show of support for current students.

A local resident holds a sign during a small gathering of protesters at Lafayette High School on Thursday in St. Joseph.

“It’s important (to be here) because these students need to see they still have alumni, adults and a community behind them,” Lafayette Alumni Danielle Fletchall said. “They have people who want to stand up for them and know that we believe that they should be able to stay in their school.”

One of the current students at Lafayette, Stephen Cunningham, explained some students may not be able to afford moving to Central or Benton.

“Their are going to be students who can’t move to Central and Benton. They might drop out,” Cunningham said. ” I know some people that can’t go because of medical reasons. They rely on the staff here at Lafayette that has been in place for years. It’s going to be hard for them.”

Another protest will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at East Hills Mall located at 3702 Frederick Ave.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Transit announced it would temporarily relocate its Woodbine Transfer Center due to deteriorating pavement at its current facility.

The Transfer Center will temporarily be located at 1502 Village Drive starting on Monday, Dec. 8.

The relocation is set to create minor route adjustments, but scheduled times will remain unchanged. Riders should anticipate normal service levels and will be able to use an existing bus shelter at the Village Drive location.

The St. Joseph Transit said it will begin planned site improvements during construction season to ensure that buses can safely return to the current Woodbine Transfer Center location.

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Leah Rainwater

DAVIESS COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — A Gallatin, Missouri woman was found dead in the Grand River after allegedly being reported missing a few days prior.

On Nov. 26, the family of 55-year-old Jule Vyrostek reported her missing to the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office after concerns about her well-being and having no contact with her since Nov. 24.

The Sheriff’s Office said it employed multiple law enforcement resources to locate Vyrostek. Some of which included a Facebook post asking the public for information on her whereabouts and providing the public with a description of the vehicle she was driving.

On Nov. 28, the Sheriff’s Office received information leading to the discovery of Vyrostek’s vehicle, which was parked and unoccupied on a field access road outside of Gallatin, near the Grand River.

After a preliminary search of the area, Vyrostek was not located.

The Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Department of Conservation water rescue teams to assist in continuing the search of the Grand River.

The Grand River search began on Nov. 29, with an accompanying land search of the outlying timber and row crop land bordering the river. The search stopped due to the need for more specialized equipment, but later resumed on Dec. 1.

According to a news release from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 12:54 p.m., a female was found deceased in the river and was later identified as Vyrostek.

Daviess County Sheriff Larry Adams Jr. said the investigation is still ongoing, and no other details can be given at this time.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other substances.

Drunk driving cases often rise in December due to increased social gatherings during the holidays.

According to the United States Department of Transportation, in December 2023 alone, 1,038 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

Sgt. Shane Hux said the Missouri State Highway Patrol steps up enforcement during the holiday period.

“All available troopers will be working, especially during Christmas and New Year’s, because we know it’s more prevalent for alcohol violations to occur during those times,” he said.

Zack Craft, a DWI enforcement deputy with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, urged people not to drive impaired if they plan to drink at holiday gatherings.

“Please have a driver who is not going to be drinking, have a sober driver. If you need to call an Uber, please do that. If you need to call a taxi, please do that,” he said. “There’s plenty of services, and especially here in 2025 with Uber and Lyft and taxis and tow truck drivers, that will come and tow your car for a discounted rate.”

Craft said a lot of people think one or two drinks won’t affect them.

“Studies have shown that even one drink can affect your ability to operate a motor vehicle, especially with marijuana,” Craft said. “You see a lot of people that say, ‘I drive better while I’m high,’ and that’s just not true. If you are impaired by marijuana, you are not safe to drive.”

Hux hammered the fact that impairment can affect a driver’s reaction time.

“It’s going to affect your judgment, your perception in the action that you take. It’s going to be a delayed response,” Hux said.

During cold and flu season, Hux said it is especially important to pay attention to your medications, as they can also cause impaired driving.

“A lot of them will say ‘Do not operate a motor vehicle’ right on the label. So adhere to those warning signs for some of them, not only cause impairment, but they also cause drowsiness,” he said.

Hux said impaired driving continues to be a big problem. Not just in St. Joseph and Buchanan County, but across the state.

“That is one of the main contributing circumstances whenever it comes to traffic crashes and, unfortunately, fatal traffic crashes as well,” Hux said. “Too many people lose their lives every year due to impaired drivers.”

Hux said one of the hardest jobs of being a state trooper is investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that could be caused by impaired driving.

“Going to that house, knocking on the door and telling a mother or father that their loved one has been killed in a traffic crash, especially when it relates to an impaired driver,” Hux said. “That’s not something that we should have to do.”

When it comes to DWI and impaired driving responses, one Road Patrol Deputy with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is going above and beyond.

Kelby Shepard will receive an award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) due to his enforcement efforts associated with impaired driving.

“I thought it was a good recognition. I’ve been working hard trying to attend trainings to end impaired driving altogether,” Shepard said. “One day, I hope that we can be out there and not have to worry about impaired drivers because of all these advancements.”

Shepard said patrol efforts aren’t going away anytime soon, especially with combating impaired driving.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The top fourteen high school football teams in Missouri are set to clash in St. Joseph over the next three days for the right to be called state champions.

After multiple weeks of district and state playoff games, the 2025 MSHSAA State Football Championships will be decided at Missouri Western’s Spratt Stadium beginning Thursday. This year’s championships mark the second consecutive year Spratt Stadium will be hosting the 8-man Show-Me Bowl game and the first time ever for the 11-man Show-Me Bowl games for Classes 1 through 6.

“This is the only place high school football is being played in the state of Missouri this weekend,” St Joseph Sports Commission Director Brett Esely said. “All roads lead here. Every team in the state of Missouri’s goal when they started practice in August was to play in a state championship game in St. Joseph, Missouri. Now 14 teams still realize that goal. There’s probably a number of student athletes and coaches on these teams that have never been here before or haven’t been that often.”

The historic moment for St. Joseph brings a mix of local flavor in neighboring teams like Rockport, Worth County and Platte County as well as teams like Lee’s Summit, Lift For Life (St. Louis) and Kearney.

For those new or less familiar with St. Joseph, Esley hopes the championships help highlight parts of the city that can help bring in more visitors in the future.

“What I’ve learned from working at a tourism office now for almost four complete years is you learn a lot more about your community from visitors,” Esely said. “I think when visitors come, especially for events like this, they’re excited. They want to find the best local, hangout spot, bar and grill, steakhouse you name it. From a sports commission standpoint, we really focus on the function of the event, and what our participants see when they come here.”

The seven championship games will be held from Thursday Dec. 4 through Saturday Dec. 6 at Spratt Stadium at Missouri Western, located at 4525 Downs Drive.

8-Man Championship Game: Rock Port (13-0) vs. Worth County (12-1) Time/Date: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4

The battle for the 8-man state title features a rematch from the start of football season between the Rock Port Blue Jays and the Worth County Tigers. The season opener between the two teams saw Rock Port come out on top 34-26.

The Blue Jay’s early season win sparked their undefeated season and quest to capture their first state championship since 1985, as they make their first title appearance since 1990.

The fulcrum for Rock Port’s success offensively is junior running back Brock Holmes. Holmes leads all running backs in the 8-man football in rushing yards (2778), rushing yards per game (213.7) and touchdowns (57).

On the defensive side of the ball, junior defensive back Jack Meyerkorth ranks third in interceptions with eight on the year.

For the Tigers they come in riding 11-consecutive wins with their only loss coming against the Blue Jays. In the prior season, Worth County lost to North Shelby in the quarterfinals.

Paving the way for the Tigers success is senior linebacker Lucas Frisch and junior running back Cole Ruby. Frisch ranks third in total tackles (141) while Ruby is fifth among all players in rushing yards (1484) and fourth in touchdowns (28)

Class 3 State Championship Game: Lift For Life (10-4) vs. Seneca (12-1)Time/Date: 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5

The first match of the 11-man Show-Me Bowl games will be for the Class 3 championship, featuring a rematch from last years playoffs between Lift For Life and Seneca. The last meeting between the teams saw the Indians shutout the Hawks 31-0.

For the Hawks, their path to the championship this season was one that saw them overcome adversity, losing the final two games of the regular season after previously being 10-2. A big part of the team’s success throughout the year has been the play of senior quarterback Phoenix Isaiah and senior wide receiver Tony Woolfolk Jr.

Isaiah ranks second among passers in the state with 196 completions for 3,049 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Eleven of his 39 touchdowns went to Woolfolk Jr., who is 4th among receivers with 1,103 receiving yards.

As for the Indians, their lone loss came in the regular season finale, losing by a single point to the Lamar Tigers. Since then, they have been on a roll, with their opponents scoring 21 points or less throughout the postseason.

Class 1 State Championship Game: Putnam County (13-0) vs. Tipton (12-1) Time/Date: 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5

For the Class 1 championship game, the undefeated Putnam County Midgets will take on the Tipton Cardinals.

The Midgets are in the midst of their first ever undefeated season and second consecutive season with 6-plus wins. Throughout the season Putnam has outscored opponents by an average of 43.5 points per game, while the defense has held opponents to average of just 8.5 point per game.

The Cardinals have had similar success, scoring 44.2 points per game and holding opponents to 9.1 points per game, making for another competitive matchup for the state crown.

Class 5 State Championship Game: Platte County (13-0) vs. Carthage (12-1)Time/Date: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5

The Class 5 crown will come down to a showdown between the powerhouse Platte County Pirates and the Carthage Tigers.

For the Pirates, they are close to making history with two consecutive undefeated seasons and being named back-to-back state championships for the first time since they completed a 3-peat from 2000 to 2002.

As for Carthage, this marks their second championship appearance and first since winning it all back in 2019. The Tigers were nearly perfect in the regular season, only losing to one of the Class 6 finalists in Nixa by a score of 38 -22.

Class 4 State Championship: Kearney (13-0) vs. Hannibal (11-2)Time/Date: 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6

The Class 4 championship pits the Kearney Bulldogs against the Hannibal Pirates.

Kearney makes their seventh Class 4 championship and is looking to win their first title since 2023. This past season marked the team’s fourth consecutive season with 10+ wins and the second time they have done so in school history (2013-2016).

For the Pirates, they are in uncharted territory as they make their first ever Class 4 championship appearance in school history. This past season marked an all-time best by the Hannibal defense, limiting opponents to 10.1 points per game.

Class 2 State Championship: St. Pius X Festus (9-5)  vs. Blair Oaks (13-0)Time/Date: 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6

The battle for Class 2 comes down to the St. Pius X-Festus Lancers and the Blair Oaks Falcons.

The Lancers have had an up-and-down season, as they started off with three straight-losses, winning the next four games and finally ending the regular season on a two-game losing streak. They have overcome their obstacles to make the Class 2 Championship for the first time.

A huge part of the team’s success is junior running back Cody Shaver, who ranks sixth in 11-man play in rushing yards with 1,739 yards on 200 carries.

For Blair Oaks, they are looking to add a seventh Class 2 Championship and fifth under current coach Ted LePage.

This season, the Falcons held their opponents to 6.2 points per game, which is one of the lowest among all the teams in the championship field.

Class 6 State Championship: Lee’s Summit (9-4) vs. Nixa (13-0)Time/Date: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6

To finish off the championships slate, Class 6 will see the Lee’s Summit Tigers take on the Nixa Eagles.

Lee’s Summit comes in riding a 9-game win streak (including the playoffs) as they make their first championship appearance since 1985. During the regular season the Tigers were 2-3 in road games.

For the Eagles, they come in riding back-to-back 13-win seasons and are one win away now from capturing a championship for the first time in school history.

They are led by senior running back Jayden McCaster and senior defensive back Randy Flint. Among all players, McCaster is second in rushing yards (2035) and first in touchdowns (36) while Flint is among the top leaders in interceptions (8).

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News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A longtime community nonprofit is ensuring children in the area have a proper holiday season.

Grace House will host a toy giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 13, for children up to 12 years old. Parents and guardians are preferred to attend the event with their children. 

The pure joy and appreciation children show keep Grace House Director Ruth Costello’s passion for giving to the community alive. 

“Our motto is ‘It’s free for a smile’, so to me, the joy is watching the kids, watching the parent that can’t afford to buy five new toys to get some toys for her kids,” Costello said. 

Along with one free wrapped new toy, children who attend will receive a snack bag and have a chance to create a fun balloon sculpture with a balloon artist. 

This event is set to take place from 8 to 10 a.m. at 2638 Lafayette St. Anyone with questions is asked to contact the store at 816-262-9401. 

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